The goal of every UFC fighter is to fight the perfect fight. Colby Covington wasn't perfect at Saturday's UFC on ESPN 5 fight card. However, he was close enough to perfect to earn a clean sweep on the scorecards to shutout Robbie Lawler over the course of the five-round contest.

Covington had not fought since he won the interim welterweight crown with a decision win over Rafael dos Anjos in June 2018. The time off didn't seem to affect Covington at all.

The fight was a good reminder of just what Covington, who stretched his winning streak to seven straight contests, is all about.

The former Oregon State University All-American wrestler uses all the skills he learned in the wrestling room when he's locked inside the octagon. Covington fights at a pace that few can match. His takedown skills are fantastic and even though Covington is not often a threat to finish the fight once he gets it to the mat, he never rests when the match is on the ground. He uses half-hearted submission attempts and active ground strikes to keep the referee from standing the fight up and also to wear down his opponents cardio.

Covington is not a knockout artist, but he throws constant volume. That never-ending onslaught of strikes doesn't give his opponent a chance to counter because they are always on the defensive. When he can, Covington moves in close and ties up his opponent, forcing them to fight from the clinch and carry his weight.

The stats for the fight, which Covington won with ease, tell the tale of just how active the ex-interim champion was.

Covington attempted 515 significant strikes throughout the five-round battle. That output earned him the new UFC record for significant strike attempts a single fight. Of those attempts, Covington landed 179 with 128 of those landing to the head of his opponent. Covington added 20 body shots and 31 blows to Lawler's legs.

Covington was very active with his takedown attempts early. He landed seven takedowns in the first two rounds and seemed to be on pace to set a UFC record in takedowns. Covington tapered off his takedown attempts as the fight wore on. By the end of the contest, Covington had landed 10 of his 18 takedown attempts.

As for Lawler, he was on defense for most of the fight. He landed just 78 of his 167 attempted significant strikes. Lawler focused on Covington's head, where he landed 61 strikes. The ex-champ added 10 body blows and seven leg strikes.

The judges scored the fight 50-45, 50-45 and 50-44 for Covington. The win should earn the ex-interim champ a shot at current champion Kamaru Usman sometime later this year or early in 2020. Usman is recovering from surgery.

UFC on ESPN 5 took place at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. ESPN broadcast the entire fight card.